Improved car-coupling



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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIGE.

'JACOB N. vANDEeEIET, STEPHEN T. VANDEGRTFT, SMITH D. FRENCH, AND

ELIAS S. STONE, OF WABASH, INDIANA.

IMPROVED GAR-COUPLING.

YSpecification forming part of Letters Patent No. 73,140, dated January 7, 1868.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that we, JACOB N. VANDE- GRTET, STEPHEN T. VANDEGRIFT, SMITH D. FRENCH, and ELIAS S. STONE, all of Wabash, in the county of Wabash and State of Indian a., have invented a new and useful Car-Coupler for Railroad-Gars, whereby cars may be selfcoupled when brought together on the track, and whereby cars may be uncoupled at will, whether in motion or at rest, and whereby cars will be uncoupled \vhen.run oftl the track; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, which make a part of this Specification.

The cars are brought together and united by a link entering into bumpers, the link and the bumpers, in general form and connection with the car, being such as are in general use now.

Figure 3 represents the bumper, with the external part-s attached, in perspecti-ve. Fig.

'l represents a longitudinal section of the bumper, the space embraced within the dotted lines a, b, c, d, e, and f being the cavity in which the external. parts, C, D, E, and t, are adj usted and work. -v Fig. 2 represents a forked lever firmly iixed to the shoulder of the bumper, or `the underside by the bolt L, on which it works. Fig. 4 represents the coupling-bolt, with its attachment, the attachment being iixed and kept in place by the pivot f, on which it tilts. Fig. 5 represents thehead of the bumper, V lV WV being the cavity or mouth, t-he bottom of the cavity being an inverted oxyoke, as shown in the diagram, so that when the link hasentered the cavity it drops byits own gravity in to the grooves W WV, thus stan ding forward and horizontal.

The several parts, together with their construction and uses, are the following:

First. E, which is adjusted and tilts on the pivotj', consists of the coupling-bolt D at one end, which is attached and plays by the bolt or screw P, and at the other end fixed in it the frame H E, in which the small caster I revolves by the pivot H in the circular or disk end of the forked lever at O. By the tilting of E the coupling-bolt is raised or depressed.

Second. b t is a spring fixed into the bottom the coupling-bolt is depressed at P the sprin will throw it up again.

Third. C, of the shape represented, with the notch w in it. It is fixed and tilts by the pivot g, working against the straight spring S, fixed on top of the bumper, by the bolt Q, so that when the coupling-link has entered the bumper, and passed the coupling-bolt D to its place in the notch u, the link will have room to play according to any irregular motion of the car. Its motion is limited by the spring S.

Fourth. The forked lever F G, having a hinge in it by and at the pivot h, so that the vfork F can be moved up and down, but not laterally, and han ging down by its own weight when not in use. In the fork F a slotis made, into which a spring, in the shape of the letter U, is inserted at fi, as shown in the drawing, Fig. 2, so that when the fork of the coupler of the carto be attached has been turned up past the spring it', it will then rest on it. The other end of the forked lever is a disk, rising behind the shoulder of the bumper at G, and hollowed out between its two sides at O, forming inclined planes, on which the wheel I rises and'falls as the lever turns on its pivot L to the right or to the left.

Fifth. The external compound lever, U m T, Fig. 3, the parts U m and m T of which are united to each other by the pivot m, the part U m being fixed to the bumper by the screw U, and the part m T being attached to E by the screw T, so that when the handle of the lever is drawn up the coupling-pin is forced down through the coupling-link, setting the link free. c is a button on the bumper, so that the lever will stop and stand at it. A rope or chain, It, is connected with the handle of the compound lever, and carried to the top of the car, where it is worked with a brake or otherwise.

In using our invention, it is Supposed that this coupler is iixed on the bumper of each of the operation then is as follows: For coupling, the link, resting in the grooves W W of oneof the couples, and thus kept straight forward and horizontal, is pushed into the mouth of point of the coupling-pin. This force presses of the cavity at b c and against E, so that when the cars brought together or connected, and y the other bumper till it strikes the beveledy down the coupling-pin, and the link passes into the notch u, when the coupling-pin springs up, and the link is now fast in the notch u, being prevented from drawing by the coupling-pin. For uncoupling at will, whether the train is in motion or at rest, it is necessary to draw upward the lever U m T, which may be die the other fork past the spring z' till it rests on top of it. Now, so long as the cars follow each other on the rail, the forked lever is not moved; but as soon as the line of motion is suddenly broken, as by the car being thrown oft' or lopped down, the forked lever works sidewise by that motion, and by crowding the wheel l upon the inclined plane of the disk at large, O, depresses the coupling-pin and sets the link free.

We expressly disclaim any invention of the bumper, either in its shape or mode of attachment to the car, the link by which the cars are united, and all other matters not here specifically claimed.

We claim as our invention- 1. The method and means described for self'- coupling cars of a railroad-train-to wit, by forcing the link held by the coupling-bolt ot' the bumper of one car up to and past the beveled coupling-bolt l) of the bumper ot' the other car, which coupling-bolt is fixed by a rivet, l? l?, to an attachment, E, which tilts as the coupling-bolt rises and falls, and which attachment is kept in place by the spring b t.

2. The'method and means above described for uncoupling and detachin g railroad-cars at will, whether the cars are in motion or at restviz., by the use of a cord or chain, R, in reach of the conductor, and attached to a compound lever, U m T, affixed at U to the side of the bumper, and 'at T to the attachlnent by which the couplingbolt is raised or depressed, so

'that the coupling-bolt may be raised and depressed at will.

8. The method and means above described for uncoupling and detaching railroad-cars when run oft the track-viz., by using corresponding couplers, as above described, on the bumpers of each car, and so that when the forked lever F of the bumper of one car rests on top of' the spring i ot' the forked lever on the bumper of the other car, and, being moved laterally, pushes the wheel l at the end of the attachment of the coupling-bolt against the inclined planes O ot the forked lever, the effeet will be to depress the coupling-bolt and detach the cars.

JACOB N. VANDEGRIFT.

STEPHEN VANDEGRIFT. SMITH D. FRENCH. ELIAS S. STONE. lVitnesses EDWIN L. BRENTON, WVARREN G. SAYRE. 

